Convertible top mechanism



@ct. 21, 1969 R, A, BRACE) ETAL 3,473,842

CONVERTIBLE TOP MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1967 d. M,1969 R. A. BRACEY ETAL 3,473,342

CONVERTIBLE TOP MECHANISM Filed June 27, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 a y w 4f/w z/vrams'. 1705672 A? Zrzaey jbrm/i A 6. .4.950 Kazan JV/d};0% JaepiA, Z? 4720/0 1969 R. A. BRACEY ETAL 3,473,42

CONVERTIBLE TOP MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 27, 1967 1 EL75$ep/?/7 74/4120/0 3,473,842 CONVERTHBLE TOP MECHANISM Robert A.Bracey, lDearbor-n, Donald L. Glossop, In,

Dearborn Heights, Robert J. Hayosh, Detroit, and J- seph A. lPalazzolo,Westland, Mich, assignors to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Mich, acorporation of Delaware Filed June 27, 1967, Ser. No. 649,222 Int. Cl.B603 7/14 US. Cl. 296-116 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A foldabletop structure in which the side rails have pivotally interconnectedsections which, except for the 1 Background of the invention The designof foldable top structures for vehicle bodies of the type conventionallyknown as convertibles has always presented a most difficult engineeringchallenge, The major problem has been the packaging of the top so thatit will present a minimum of degree of ncroachment into the passengercompartment area when in a folded or collapsed condition. This problemhas been compounded by the necessity of maintaining the vertical stackheight of the folded or collapsed top linkage at a minimum. Thisnecessity arises from the desire to keep the top stack height fromprotruding above the belt line of the vehicle body.

One solution that has been proposed a number of times is to have theside rail sections fold inwardly rather than to have them swingvertically one on top of the other from an extended to a foldedposition. Such structures have not proven commercially acceptablebecause of the difficulty in driving and in guiding the inwardly foldingrail sections so that the top will be folded and unfolded with apredetermined uniformity of movement each and every time it is loweredor raised. Only with uniformity of movement can the top when raised beproperly aligned with the latch devices carried on the windshield headeror when lowered be properly aligned with the storage cornpartment intowhich it must fit.

It is an object of the present invention to provide convertible orfoldable top structures having inwardly foldable rail sections and aunique mechanism for folding and unfolding the rail sections as the topis lowered or raised.

Description of the drawing Other objects, advantages and features ofconstruction of the present invention will be made more apparent as thisdescription proceeds, particularly when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foldable top structure for aconvertible vehicle body shown without the top covering material;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the foldable top structure in partially foldedcondition;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view in the direction of the arrow 3 inFIG, 1 of the torsional drive means in top raised position for causinginwardly folding movement of the top structure side rails;

FIG. 4 is a view in part similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the torsionaldrive means in top lowered position;

Patented Oct. 21, 1969 FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the railsection pivot means within the circle 5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow 6 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the rail section pivot meanswithin the circle 7 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow 8 in FIG. 7.

Description of preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings, FIG.1 illustrates the foldable top structure, generally designated 11, intop extended and raised position. The top structure is shown without theconventional canvas or vinyl fabric covering material. Also, no portionof the vehicle body is shown since the relationshi of the foldable topstructure to the convertible vehicle body follows conventional practice.

The top structure 11 comprises a pair of symmetrical side rails 12 and13. Each side rail 12 or 13 has a plurality of rail sections consistingof a rear side rail section 14, a center side rail section 15 and afront side rail section 16.

Each rear side rail section 14 comprises a member which is upwardly andforwardly inclined when in top raised position, as shown in FIG. 1. Atits lower end 17 it is pivotally journalled on a bracket 18, see FIG. 3.The bracket 18 is adapted to be secured to the convertible bodystructure, At its upper end 19, the rear side rail section 14 is curvedso that in top raised position it lies in a substantially horizontalplane.

The rear face of rear side rail section 14 (the side visible in FIG. 1or from the rear of the vehicle in top raised position) has asemi-cylindrically contoured portion 21 which provides a journal for ashaft 22, the function of which will be explained. The portion 21extends from the lower end 17 of the rear side rail section 14 toapproximately half way up the latter. From the termination of the railportion 21 to the terminal end of the upper end 19 of the rail section14, the rail section is about half the width of the lower half. The halfwidth portion of the rear side rail section 14 is adapted to matelaterally with the lower portion 23 of the center side rail section 15.

The center side rail section 15 is a curved member following thelongitudinal contour of the upper half of rear side section 14 and thenextending in a substantially horizontal direction forwardly of thelatter at an increased width as best seen in FIG. 2. The forward end 24of the center side rail section 15 is contoured to abut the rear end 25of front side rail section 16. The front end 26 of front side railsection 16 in turn abuts the adjacent terminal end 27 of the frontheader or number one roof bow 28. The front header or number one roofbow 28, as in conventional convertible structures, extends laterally ofthe passenger compartment and is contoured to overlie the windshieldheader (not shown). It functions to tie and maintain in proper lateralspaced relationship the forward ends of the side rails 12 and 13. Therear ends of the side rails 12 and 13, being journalled in bracketsmounted on the vehicle body, are automatically held in proper spacedlateral relationship to each other.

In addition to the number one roof bow 28, there are additional roofbows as required to support the convertible top material. In theillustrated embodiment of the present invention, there are three ofthese additional roof bows.

These are the number two roof how 29 supported on links 31 pivotallyjournalled on the front side rail section 16, the number three roof bow32 rigidly fixed at each of its ends to a bracket 33 secured to therespective rear side rail sections 14, and the number four roof how 34carried on links 35 and 36 pivotally supported on extensions 37 of thebrackets 18. The link system utilizing the links 35 and 36 permits thenumber four roof bow 34 to collapse beneath the top structure as thelatter is driven to a stored position.

The power means for driving the top structure from a raised and extendedposition to a collapsed and stacked or stored position or vice versa isillustrated as comprising a pair of hydraulic cylinders 37. Thecylinders 37 are supported by trunnions 38 journalled in side wallextensions 39 of brackets 18. The piston rod 41 of each cylinder 37 iscoupled by links 42 to a flange or web 43 extending from the rear siderail section 14. Operating fluid for the hydraulic cylinders is derivedfrom a hydraulic fluid pump 44 (adapted to be mounted on the vehiclebody floor) connected to the cylinders by supply and return conduits,such as the conduit 45 in FIG. 1.

As described so far, the convertible foldable top structure 11 appearsto be quite similar to a conventional foldable top structure. Onedistinction has been briefly noted, however, and this was with respectto the semi-cylindrical contoured portions 21 of the rear side railsections 14. Each of these semi-cylindrical contoured portions 21 hasbeen described as journalling a shaft 22. The upper end 46 of each shaft22 projects through a boss 47 on the lower end 23 of the respectivecenter side rail section 15. Each boss 47 has bearing engagement withthe end face 48 of the semi-cylindrical portion 21 of the contiguousrear side rail section 14. Each shaft end 46 and related center siderail boss 47 are coupled to each other by a pin 49 or the like.Appropriate rotation of the respective shafts 22, in a manner to beexplained, causes the center side rails 15 to swivel inwardly toward thecenter of the vehicle body (see FIG. 2) when the top is to be collapsed.

The forward end 24 of each center side rail 15 has an upstanding boss 51which carries a pivot stud 52 (see FIG. The pivot stud 53 has a squareshank portion 52 adapted to fit into a square portion of the aperture 54in the boss 51 so that the stud 52 is nonrotatable.

The rear end 25 of the front side rail section 16 has an extension 55adapted to overlie the boss 51 in the center side rail 15. The extension55 is apertured as at 56 to receive bushing elements 57. It is thus seenthat the center side rail section 15 and the front side rail section 16are pivotally coupled to each other. The upper end of the pivot stud 52is provided with a slot or kerf 58 adapted to receive the inner end of aspiral spring 59, the free end 61 of which is hooked over a pin 62carried on the extension 55 of the front side rail 16.

The pivotal connections or couplings between the front header bow ornumber one bow 28 and the front end 26 of each front side rail sectionare best explained with refer ence to FIGS. 7 and 8. The front header 28has at each end an extension portion 63 carrying an inclined boss 64.Each front rail section 26 also has an extension 65 terminating in aninclined end portion 66 adapted to overlie the respective front headerboss 64. Suitable bushing devices 67 ensure low friction between theadjacent surfaces of the boss 64 and rail section end portion 66 andbetween the adjacent surface of the latter and the large headed bolt 68providing the pivotal coupling means.

An important feature of the present invention is the alignment of thethree pivot axes for each side rail 12 or 13 defined by the respectiveshafts 22, pivot studs 52 and bolts 68. In top raised position, as shownin FIG. 1, the pivot axes for the rail sections 14, 15 and 16 of theright side rail 12 are parallel to each other and lie in a common plane.These pivot axes are represented by the lines 69, 71 and 72.correspondingly, pivot axes for the rail sections 14, 15 and 16 of theleft side rail 13, as represented by the lines 73, 74 and 75, also areparallel to each other and lie in a common plane. The planes defined bythe respective pivot axes 69, 71, 72 and 73, 74, 75 are inclined tointersect over the longitudinal center line of the foldable topstructure.

The lower end of the rear side rail section 14 pivots 4 on the bracket18 about a horizontal pivot axis as indicated by the stub shafts 76 (seeFIGS. 3 and 4).

As has been mentioned, the upper end 46 of the shaft 22 which extendsthrough the semi-cylindrical contoured portion 21 of the rear side railsection 14 is pinned to the end portion 23 of the center side railsection 15. This applies to the shaft 22 on each side of the foldabletop structure. Thus, if a clockwise twisting force is applied to theshaft 22 on the left side of the foldable top structure 11, as viewed inFIGS. 1 and 2, and if a counterclockwise force is applied to the shaft22 on the right side of the foldable top structure, the center side railsections 15 of the respective side rails 12 and 13 will be swunginwardly from the FIG. 1 position to the position shown in FIG. 2. Themanner in which the twisting or torsional forces may be applied to theshafts 22 now will be explained.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it will be noted that the lower end 77 of theshaft 22 is formed as a tongue pivotally coupled by a pin 78 to theclevis end 79 of a shaft 81. The shaft 81 is journalled for freerotation in a bushing 82 carried on a mounting block 83 secured to theinner wall of the bracket 18 at one corner thereof. The shafts 22 and 81are thus angularly coupled to each other. The shaft 81 lies at an angleto the horizontal pivot axis of the rear side rail section 14 whereasthe axis of shaft 22 lies in a plane vertically intersecting thehorizontal rear side rail section pivot axis. As was pointed out above,the upper end of the shaft 22 is nonrotatably coupled to the center siderail section 15. As a result of this relationship, when the rear siderail section 14 is swung in a clockwise direction from its uprightposition as viewed in FIG. 3 by actuation of the hydraulic cylinder 37,a torsional force is exerted on the shaft 81 in a counterclockwisedirection as viewed in FIG. 3. Because of the angular relationship ofthe shaft 81 with the shaft 22, this torsional force is transmitted tothe shaft 22 tending to rotate the latter in a counterclockwisedirection as viewed in FIG. 3. This counterclockwise torsional movementof the shaft 22 is transmitted through its end 46 to the center siderail section 15 of the side rail 12 causing the latter to be swung in acounterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2.

Simultaneously the same action is occurring on the other side of the topexcept that the directions of the various forces and rotationaldirections of the various shafts are reversed. The center side railsection 15 of the side rail 3 is swung in a clockwise direction so thatthe two center side rail sections 15 will swing inwardly toward eachother. As the center side rail sections 15 swing inwardly toward eachother they pull the front side rail sections 13 rearwardly and inwardly.This results in the front how 28 being pulled toward the rear how 32.The second bow 29 is also moved inwardly. Since it is mounted on theinwardly moving front side rails 16, the bow 29 must swing on itssupporting links 31 otherwise the front side rail sections could notmove inwardly. The third bow 32 being mounted on the rear side railsections which are being swung rearwardly about their horizontal pivotaxis are merely carried backwardly in an arc to a collapsed positionabove the rear bow 34. The latter being mounted on the links 35, 36merely folds itself under the folding side rail sections as the rearside rail sections are moved to a substantially horizontal position asshown in part in FIG. 4.

It will be understood that as soon as the lower halves 17 of the rearside rail sections 14 are swung from a forwardly inclined position asshown in FIG. 3 to a position in which they assume a rearwardinclination, the weight of the top structure will shift in a directionto abet the inward folding movement of the center side rail sections 15and front side rail sections 16.

When the top structure is raised from the collapsed or stored position,the weight of the top structure Wlll resist the unfolding of the railsections. But as shown m FIGS. 5 and 6, the spirit springs 59 are sopositioned that they will be wound up as the side rail sections and 16on each of the side rails 12 and 13 move into an overlying position asthey are moved to a top stored or collapsed position. As the side railsections 15 and 16 are driven into longitudinal alignment upon theraising of the top structure, the energy stored in the spiral springs 59will assist in the alignment of the side rail sections 15 and 16relative to each other.

The unique features of the present invention may be briefly summarizedas follows:

(1) Arrangement of top rail geometry for improved packaging:

(A) Rear Side rails fold straight back.

(B) Center side and front side rails fold inboard.

(2) Angulation of side pivots to provide:

(A) Improved packaging and top down position.

(8) Stability during top folding cycle.

(3) Application of unique torsional drive means to effect inward foldingof the center side and front side rails from rear rail rotation orswinging movement.

We claim:

1. A foldable top structure for a vehicle body;

a pair of spaced foldable side rails having a plurality of railsections,

the rearmost rail section of each side rail being pivotally supported onthe vehicle body for swinging movement about a substantially horizontalpivot axis;

a plurality of pivot means positioned on each side rail to interconnectits rail sections,

said pivot means defining parallel pivot axes about which the respectiveside rail sections other than the rearmost sections are inwardlyfoldable,

said parallel pivot axes on each side rail lying in a plane when thefoldable top is in a raised and extended position,

the respective planes being inclined to intersect above the vehiclebody;

and torsional drive means for each side rail,

each torsional drive means including a drive member journalled on arearmost rail section with one end forming the pivotal interconnectionof the respective rearmost rail section with the contiguous side railsection,

and coupling means coupling the other end of said drive member to thevehicle body contiguous to the horizontal pivot axis about which therespective rearmost rail section is swingable,

said torsional drive means being responsive to swinging movement of therear rail section to effect inward folding of said side rail sections.

2. A foldable top structure according to claim 1 in which:

a power means is coupled to each of the rearmost rail sections to swingthe latter from an upwardly and forwardly inclined position in topraised position to a substantially horizontal and rearwardly extendingposition in top lowered position.

3. A foldable top structure for a vehicle body, comprising:

a pair of spaced foldable side rails each having a rear side railsection, a center side rail section and a front side rail section,

each rear side rail section being pivotally supported at its rear end onthe vehicle body for swinging movement about a substantially horizontalpivot axis,

and each rear side rail section in top raised position being upwardlyand forwardly inclined and in top lowered position extending in asubstantially horizontal and rearwardly extending direction;

pivot means connecting the rear end of each center side rail section tothe front end of the contiguous rear side rail section,

and pivot means connecting the rear end of each front side rail sectionto the front end of the contiguous center side rail section;

a front header extending between the front ends of the front side railsections and pivotally connected by pivot means thereto;

the several pivot means, except the pivot means defining the horizontalpivot axis about which each rear rail section swings, defining pivotaxes about which the respective center and front side rail sections areinwardly foldable,

the parallel pivot axes on each side rail lying in a plane when thefoldable top is in a raised and extended position,

the respective planes being inclined to intersect above the vehiclebody;

and torsional drive means for each side rail,

each torsional drive means including a drive member journalled on a rearside rail section with one end forming the pivotal interconnection ofthe respective rear side rail section with the contiguous side railcenter section,

and coupling means coupling the other end of said drive member to thevehicle body contiguous to the horizontal pivot axis about which therespective rear side rail section is swingable,

said torsional drive means being responsive to swinging movement of therear side rail section to effect inward folding of said side railsections.

4. A foldable top structure according to claim 3, in

which:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1934 Olivier 296-416 8/1945Humer 296-107 8/1964 Zeller 296116 5/1968 Horan 2961O7 LEO FRIAGLLA,Primary Examiner JOEL E. SIEGEL, Assistant Examiner

